only backgroundI'm a wife, mother and grandmother. I'm opinionated. I contradict myself frequently. Most of all, I love my kids. I believe in them. I fight for them. They're weird and wonderful. If you want to know more, here's a bunch of other stuff from my old site.
Prostate Cancer scares me. I know, that may seem odd for a woman to say. It doesn’t mean I’m not worried about other kinds of cancer. It’s just that prostate cancer has hit very close to home. Repeatedly.
My dad is one of eight children. Of his 4 brothers, all were diagnosed with prostate cancer. My dad is the last of his siblings still alive and so far, his prostate in enlarged but cancer free. Nevertheless, we worry about him and make sure he gets his checkups.
But my concern regarding prostate cancer goes beyond my father. I also have five sons. My boys range in age from 28 to 11. I’m aware that men should begin being checked for prostate cancer at around age 40 but I’ve advised my sons to be checked earlier. With two of my boys in their mid- to late-twenties and another past 18, I’d like them to have their initial tests soon. It doesn’t hurt and early detection is always better in terms of survival.
When prostate cancer is detected in men over age 65, the treatment is typically a wait and watch method As long as the cancer is slow-growing, chances are these men can have a normal lifespan. The problem is when the cancer is fast growing. This is what happened with two of my uncles and both required additional treatment.
I’ve recently read about a new prostate cancer treatment that is in the third phase of clinical trial in the US. It’s been approved in other countries, including Canada, and some US cancer patients have traveled overseas or across our northern border for treatment.
The minimally invasive procedure is called HIFU which stands for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound. A handful of US doctors are now offering HIFU treatment for prostate cancer and other urological disorders. The precision of the this procedure greatly reduces the risk of impotence and incontinence, two common side effects of traditional prostate cancer treatments. And because it’s non-ionizing, it can be repeated if necessary without the risk of damaging healthy tissue. It can also be used if other types of treatment fail. This sets it apart from traditional treatments like radiation therapy.
HIFU is a 2-3 hour outpatient procedure requiring either an epidural or spinal anesthesia. That may sound scary but I’ve had both forms of anesthesia when giving birth and neither is bad at all. I can remember the discomfort of radiation and chemotherapy that my uncles endured and I know HIFU would have been much preferred.
There are medical breakthroughs every day and new procedures that don’t get much press coverage. If not for the HIFU website, I wouldn’t have heard of this new treatment. If you know a man who is over 40, please encourage him to request a PSA test during his next physical. And if you know someone who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer or another urological disorder, please direct him to the HIFU website. This is too important to keep quiet.
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Glad to hear another voice speaking out on this, Prostate cancer kills so many men, and we hear so little about it. About a year ago my father in law had the radioactive ’seeds’ implanted into the affected sites. Since then he has made an absolutely amazing recovery, while at the same time, two of his brothers have been diagnosed too late for treatment. (You can bet we are watching my husbands health very closely!) The procedure my father in law had is still considered ‘experimental’ here in Australia, so health insurance wouldnt contribute one cent. At $20,000.00 AUD, it was very much a ‘your money, or your life’ situation. We are so relieved that at least it worked. Sorry to ramble…thank you for bringing the issue more exposure. Cheers!
“If you know a man who is over 40, please encourage him to request a PSA test during his next physical. And if you know someone who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer or another urological disorder, please direct him to the HIFU website. This is too important to keep quiet.”
I admit: prevention is a very important factor when we want to avoid this threat. Thanks for article and keep up good work!
I will keep your FIL in my prayers, for a continued clean bill of health. And good thoughts for your husband, too.
You’re welcome and thank you for visiting!